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Ohio AG Confirms Right of Auditor to Examine the Books at University Foundations

Photo of Dave Yost
ANDY CHOW
/
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU

The auditor of state has the power to look over the books of college and university foundations, according to Ohio’s attorney general.  Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports that opinion comes over the objections of three universities.

Youngstown State, Kent State University and the University of Toledo had said they didn’t feel Auditor Dave Yost had the authority to conduct financial audits of their foundations, which raise millions of dollars mostly from private donors and corporations. Yost says he’s glad Attorney General Mike DeWine has confirmed that he does have that power.

“I don’t know that there’s any problem with any of them. What there is, though, is the potential for a problem. Money can move back and forth between the university and its foundations.”

The AG’s opinion could still be challenged by the universities, but Yost says he’s hopeful the opinion resolves the issue.

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.